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Nancy Mock
I scream, you scream—well, you know the saying! Americans have loved to eat ice cream for well over a century. Here's a closer look at the most popular ice cream flavor from every decade.
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1900s: Neapolitan
Neapolitan ice cream was very trendy in this decade. It’s made of several flavors of ice cream pressed together into one block to be sliced and served—a technique that originated in Naples, Italy. Though any ice cream flavor can be used, the most familiar Neapolitan combination features chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. This decade also saw the invention of the ice cream cone.
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1910s: Fruit Sherbet
This ice cream treat was also called water ice, iced punch or sorbet. It was a popular palate cleanser served at dinner parties between entrees. The sherbet typically consisted of fruit juice and water—sometimes liqueurs or milk were added, and they were sweetened with sugar or honey.
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1920s: Rocky Road
Aptly named for the rocky times of the late ’20s, Rocky Road ice cream was the creation of William Dreyer and Joseph Edy. (Do those names sound familiar?) Wanting to make a dessert to cheer people up during the bleak days of the Great Depression, the duo stirred marshmallow bits and chopped almonds into chocolate ice cream. Find more surprising Depression-era desserts.
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1930s: Rum Raisin
The repeal of Prohibition in the ’30s spurred the addition of spirits to desserts, including ice cream. We have Italy to thank for the rum and raisin flavor combination. In Sicily, rum-soaked Málaga raisins were stirred into vanilla gelato. This ice cream flavor regained in popularity in the ’70s and ’80s, too. Find your state’s most iconic ice cream flavor.
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1940s: Vanilla Soft Serve
The idea for soft serve ice cream happened by accident, after Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck broke down and he had to sell melting ice cream in a hurry. His customers loved the creamy texture, and Carvel ran with the idea. More soft serve stands quickly followed, including Dairy Queen and Tastee Freez.
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1950s: Pineapple
Pineapple was everywhere in the ’50s (think pineapple upside-down cake and countless Jell-O salads) thanks to the fascination with Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. So it’s no surprise that pineapple found its way into ice cream, too. Flavors in grocery store freezers included a pink pineapple sherbet, cherry pineapple and a vanilla, raspberry and orange-pineapple swirled ice cream.
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1960s: Butter Pecan
Ice cream is already indulgent—but how about adding in real butter? Folks loved the buttery vanilla base dotted with toasted pecans. Howard Johnson’s , an iconic 1960s family restaurant chain, had Butter Pecan on its famous list of 28 ice cream flavors, which included two other popular ice creams of the decade: black raspberry and maple walnut. If you can’t get enough of this flavor, try these other butter pecan desserts.
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1970s: Mint Chocolate Chip
We have England’s royal family to thank for this ice cream—well, sort of. English culinary student Marilyn Ricketts won a 1973 contest with her creation of mint ice cream dotted with chocolate chips, and won the honor to have it served at the wedding banquet of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. It’s been an American favorite ever since. If it’s your favorite, then you’ll love these grasshopper-inspired desserts, too.
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Courtesy Ben & Jerry's
1980s: Cherry Garcia
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream ruled this decade with their social missions, rich, small-batch ice creams and eclectic flavors. Cherry Garcia, cherry ice cream swirled with juicy cherries and fudge flakes, was named for the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and quickly became the most popular of those ’80s flavors.
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1990s: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
For all of us who snuck raw cookie dough out of the fridge, this flavor was the answer to our prayers! Ben & Jerry’s gave us this ice cream flavor as well, after getting the idea from an anonymous fan. Other brands quickly caught on, swirling chunks of cookie dough into their own vanilla ice cream.
Honorable Mention: Kids of the ’90s also grew up eating the “Ice Cream of the Future:” Dippin’ Dots!
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2000s: Cake Batter
The ultra-sweet flavor of birthday cake made its way into candy, snack cakes and, of course, ice cream! In 2003, Coldstone Creamery introduced their Cake Batter ice cream, and it didn’t take long for other ice cream makers to jump on the bandwagon.
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2010s: Salted Caramel
The last decade saw a revolution in incorporating sweet and savory flavors. Thank goodness, because salted caramel in ice cream is pure genius! Ice cream flavors ran the gamut, from modest swirls of salted caramel to candy chunks, and even as a solid core in the pint. (Thanks again, Ben & Jerry’s!) To sample this one at home, make salted caramel sauce to serve over pumpkin ice cream.
Nancy Mock
Discovering restaurants, tasting bakery treats, finding inspiration in new flavors and regional specialties—no wonder Nancy loves being a Taste of Home Community Cook and a food and travel writer. She and her family live in Vermont and enjoy all things food, as well as the beautiful outdoors, game nights, Avengers movies and plenty of maple syrup. Find Nancy’s writing and recipes at her website: Hungry Enough To Eat Six.
Ice cream history is a delectable journey through time, isn't it? Let's break down the flavors and concepts highlighted in that article:
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Neapolitan (1900s): This combo was iconic for its blend of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, originating from Naples, Italy. It marked the introduction of the technique of layering different flavors into a single block of ice cream.
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Fruit Sherbet (1910s): Known also as water ice or sorbet, it was a popular palate cleanser made of fruit juice, water, sometimes milk or liqueurs, and sweeteners like sugar or honey. It was a hit at dinner parties between courses.
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Rocky Road (1920s): Developed during the Great Depression by William Dreyer and Joseph Edy, this flavor uplifted spirits with a mix of chocolate ice cream, marshmallow bits, and chopped almonds, reflecting the rocky times of that era.
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Rum Raisin (1930s): The repeal of Prohibition in the 1930s brought spirits into desserts like ice cream. Italy's influence brought about the combination ofrum-soaked Málaga raisins stirred into vanilla gelato, gaining popularity again in the '70s and '80s.
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Vanilla Soft Serve (1940s): Soft serve ice cream, born from a broken-down ice cream truck and the creamy texture it produced, became a sensation. Brands like Dairy Queen and Tastee Freez quickly followed suit.
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Pineapple (1950s): Reflecting the fascination with Hawaiian and Polynesian culture, pineapple became a prevalent flavor in various forms, including sherbets and swirled ice creams.
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Butter Pecan (1960s): A buttery vanilla base with toasted pecans became a hit, especially at Howard Johnson's, alongside flavors like black raspberry and maple walnut.
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Mint Chocolate Chip (1970s): Originating from England, this flavor—mint ice cream dotted with chocolate chips—earned fame after being served at the royal wedding banquet of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
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Cherry Garcia (1980s): Ben & Jerry's ruled this decade with their socially conscious mission and eclectic flavors. Cherry Garcia, cherry ice cream swirled with cherries and fudge flakes, became a standout.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (1990s): An indulgent creation blending chunks of raw cookie dough into vanilla ice cream, this flavor stemmed from an idea pitched by an anonymous fan and became a widespread hit among various brands.
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Cake Batter (2000s): The sweetness of birthday cake made its way into ice cream in 2003 with Coldstone Creamery's introduction of Cake Batter ice cream, inspiring other makers to follow suit.
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Salted Caramel (2010s): The last decade saw a fusion of sweet and savory, exemplified by salted caramel ice cream. Varieties ranged from simple swirls to chunky variations and solid cores in the pint, championed by brands like Ben & Jerry's.
Each decade showcases not just the evolution of ice cream flavors but also cultural influences, economic circ*mstances, and innovations in the dessert industry.
